This proposal requests continued support for the research programs of two PI's who work in different areas and do not collaborate with one another. Nepomichie works on integrable systems in quantum field theory and has developed a strong reputation both nationally and internationally; he is, in fact, one of the few people in the U.S. who have done consistently significant work in this area. Alvarez is working on large N Yang Mills gauge theories and is also a well-known researcher. Both areas have a long history, but are highly relevant to current particle theory: integrable systems have undergone a revival of interest in the context of supersymmetry and string theory; and the large N limit of Yang Mills theories is still a challenging problem the solution of which would highly significant for particle physics.
The broader impacts of this proposal lie more in the range of collaborations across the world than in outreach to a wider public. Nepomichie has collaborators on three continents and appears to be a good ambassador for his country as well as an excellent theorist. Alvarez serves the physics community in a variety of ways that are important for its well being.
